By Demion McTair. Updated 10:55 p.m., Saturday, January 21, 2021, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Kingstown, St. Vincent (ONE NEWS SVG) – The National Emergency Management Organization – NEMO said tonight (January 16, 2021) that there is currently no explosive eruption of the La Soufriere volcano at this time.
Director of NEMO – Michelle Forbes, in a telephone call to NBC Radio said that there is also no evacuation order.
She urged residents to stay calm and not to panic.
Her comments on NBC Radio came after images and videos emerged on social media showing a red hue emerging from the La Soufriere volcano tonight – Saturday, January 16, 2021, at around 10:00 p.m.
Her comments also followed a Facebook post from NEMO which stated: “The dome is glowing, what is termed incandescent, as the dome gets closer to the surface this will be seen on a clear night as hot lava gives off heat and is seen as fire. Please note no evacuation order has been given”.
The official Facebook page of the Seismic Research Center at the University of the West Indies also made a post explaining the event:
“We’ve received reports that villages on the western flanks of #Lasoufriere have observed a glow coming from the summit of the volcano. The ongoing eruption has resulted in the creation of a dome which is made up of very hot materials that would naturally give off a glow – incandescence, which is not visible during the day due to the brightness of the sun but is visible at night since there are no other sources of light. The hazard from the eruption is still limited to the crater and the summit and persons are advised to listen to NEMO St. Vincent and the Grenadines for any updates” the post read.
The La Soufriere volcano continues to erupt effusively, with magma and gases coming out of the crater.
A dome was formed since magma broke through the floor of the crater on December 27, 2020, and it continues to grow.
11:50 p.m. update from NEMO:
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